Kaze to Umi: Eien no Futarigami
by Juvenile Matsuri
Summary: What if Shadow Galactica was not vanquished? Four years after the battle with Sailor Galaxia, Haruka and Michiru are faced with a new problem -- a past enemy with a present lust for revenge.
1. Part one

**Kaze to Umi: Eien no Futarigami**

****Wind and Sea: Eternity's Pair ****

This literary piece is a fanfiction. Sailor Moon is copyrighted by none other than Naoko Takeuchi, the rightful author. Her characters are not my own, and I claim no rights to them. This work is my original; I will know if someone plagiarizes my writing. Enjoy, readers!

**Note:**_ If you are easily offended by female homosexuality, please stop here._

If you are one of the many people who have not seen the fifth story arc of Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, then here is a brief synopsis of it. This will clear a few things up with names.

This part of the series introduces the fact that there are not only Sailor Senshi in our own planetary system, but all across the universe. Shadow Galactica, ledby Sailor Galaxia, is the new enemy of the Sailor Senshi. Her Sailor Animates, such as Sailor Aluminum Siren and Sailor Iron Mouse, are very powerful, and they help Sailor Galaxia collect Sailor Star Seeds. In truth, the Sailor Animates are real Sailors being controlled by Galaxia's bracelets. Usagi/Serena and company have all reached high school and are definitely a little more matured. Chibiusa/Rini leaves for the 30th century, and ends up having to stay, and Mamoru/Darien is accepted to Harvard, which means he'd have to leave Usagi for a year. A new person, Chibi Chibi, is introduced; she is a very cute little girl with red hair and 'meatball-shaped' hair, except the buns are hearts. An idol group, the Three Lights, become popular during this time. After being thought of as enemies, they are found to be a new type of Sailor Senshi team, the Sailor Starlights: Star Fighter (Seiya Kou), Star Maker (Taiki Kou), and Star Healer (Yaten Kou). One by one, people in Usagi's life are taken by Sailor Galaxia, and their Star Seeds are collected; this starts with Mamoru as he leaves to go to America (there is not much seen of Mamoru in this series except flashback).

Sailor Uranus and Neptune, however, willingly gave their Star Seeds up to Galaxia. The two pretended to be enslaved by her bracelets and even fought the Sailors they were allied with in order to keep up the lie. At the time in which Sailor Galaxia used them against Sailor Moon for the last time, Uranus and Neptune turned upon the woman, wounding her greatly. Their bracelets were taken from them, and the two died, their hands together. They were reborn, of course, after all was over and done with.

This story takes place four years after the battle with Galaxia. The Sailor Starlights have come back, meaning the Three Lights are now a popular group again. Haruka and Michiru have begun to work with them again, like in the past. This story is more about Haruka and Michiru, rather than the Sailor Senshi.

**p a r t o n e**

"It's been four years . . ."

Dark cyan locks of semi-long length cascaded over the side of the bathtub. They were shiny, due to the prior submersion of the woman they belonged to. The bathtub was large and luxurious, just as the home she lived in. There was more than enough room for her, and even another. Milky-white, beautifully defined arms were crossed and resting upon the rim of the small pool; her equally beautiful body was turned towards the rest of the bathroom as she looked out of the window, showing a gentle face topped with the aforementioned wavy cyan hair, complete with azure eyes and light, thin lips. This was Michiru Kaioh, the Sailor Senshi's own Sailor Neptune — the soldier of the tides and seas.

"And you haven't aged a day." said another, who then placed a kiss upon the gorgeous woman's neck. Obviously, this person, a woman, was her lover; the taller, more athletically built (yet still beautiful) one had her arms around Michiru, looking in the same direction, eyes of a darker bluish-green not truly focused. Very short hair of a sandy blonde color adorned her head, only her bangs making contact with Michiru's skin, as far as her hair went. As Michiru shivered slightly at this tender kiss, this woman, Haruka Tenoh, shifted so that they could both be more comfortable against the tub's edge. Once satisfied, she pulled Michiru closer. "You think too much, love."

"Do I?" asked the aquatic-haired one, turning her head to look at Haruka. After a moment, the woman bit upon her bottom lip, letting it go to speak. "I guess you're right. Galaxia nearly took us from life . . . I think I have the right to think, don't you?" Michiru smiled, raising a hand to caress Haruka's cheek.

"Not if it takes you away from me. You'd be as bad as that galactic bitch, then." Closing her eyes, Haruka rested the side of her head against her lover's own.

"Jealous, are we?"

" . . . yes."

"Afraid that after my mind, my body is next?"

"Never. Your body is mine." With these words, Haruka backed away from Michiru enough to be able to turn her over. After stroking the beauty's cheek, she leaned in and kissed the lips of the seas' guardian. Haruka lifted one of Michiru's legs, resting her lover's ankle upon her shoulder. The soft lips of the wind soldier kissed the calf before her and kept her eyes locked on Michiru's heavenly gaze.

"Only my body, my dear?" It took a good deal of strength for Michiru to not crumble under the sensation she received from that one kiss.

"If your mind is already taken from me, then I must take what I can, for if I can't have you, then I will _die._" Another kiss was given to the succulent skin in her grasp.

"I reiterate, a world without you is not worth saving," whispered Michiru.

The sensations she received while with Haruka, the orgasmic feelings she knew that would last for hours, were still fresh upon her mind as she lay down to sleep, the scent of fresh jasmine and peach bubble bath lingering with both of them. Even if she was elated with her previous gift, she couldn't help but gaze melancholically towards their drapes and minute peek towards the beautiful outdoors. Figuring that her worry was not valid, she pulled at Haruka's

arms so that they were even tighter around her delicate frame.

The night claimed them both, and the day turned.

Uniform ringing broke through the couple's dreams; the telephone rang. The first time was nearly unheard. The second ring woke them both up.

"Mmmmm . . . you get it. I . . . _really _don't feel like being a bitch first thing in the morning, Michiru."

". . . and how do you think I'd be?"

"Nice, as always."

"Quiet. Move." said Michiru as she climbed over Haruka to answer the phone, which was oh-so-conveniently placed; Haruka's mind was a very complex thing. Sometimes, Michiru didn't care to understand. Other times, she craved to be so much closer than what she already was. She dismissed her thoughts at the fourth ring and answered the phone. "Hello?"

As her form hovered over Haruka's, barely touching the wind soldier's soft skin, Michiru felt prying hands in . . . private areas.

"Mm-hmm . . . y-yes . . . I will. Thank you very much." said Neptune's guardian. "Good day." Quickly, she hung up.

Once finished with the telephone call, Michiru would find that the violations weren't stopping. It took Michiru grabbing Haruka's hand, after a moment or two, for the woman to notice that things weren't exactly 'kosher.' Deciding to skip the tension and such for the time being, she asked, "Who was it?"

Haruka, in a loving and apologetic gesture, brought Michiru down to bed gently, her long arms around her petite waist. She even kissed her partner's neck while caressing her skin.

"Your agent. You're working with the Three again." said Michiru, a little coldly. She wrenched herself from Haruka's grasp and stood up. Her nude form contrasted their semi-dark walls very well. Haruka leaned over and propped herself up on her right arm, staring at her love dressing her hair. As Michiru sat naked at the vanity, her dazed counterpart could have sworn she became more beautiful every day.

"What is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"What's wrong?" She stood also, only simple, non-lace panties adorning her form; Haruka ran a long-fingered hand through her short hair. "I'm not an idiot; you're angry. Tell me."

Michiru could feel the soft vibrations through her stool as Haruka approached. The woman fidgeted when her lover stroked her face, specifically her right cheek. Usually, Michiru would have melted and leaned back, but she sat straight and looked herself in the eye through the mirror. "More than you can understand, Haruka."

"I can't understand if you don't tell me, l—"

"Just don't try to talk to me right now. I'm late." When she stood, her aqua hair fell to her back after she fluffed it one more time. She walked to her part of the closet, quickly donned a simple, sleeveless, and semi-long blue dress (after putting on the right undergarments, of course). Next, Michiru applied a small bit of lotion to her legs and arms, before walking to the door. She took a look back to Haruka, who was standing in their bedroom doorway with an unbuttoned shirt and the same underwear on (arms crossed), put on her shoes, and then left the house. She would be taking her own, rarely-used car that day.

"Damnit." There was a small hole in the wall a few seconds later.

Haruka's angst was interrupted by the second call of the morning. It was only eight twenty-seven in the morning. Picking up the phone, hoping that it was an apologetic Michiru, Haruka simply greeted the caller in a slightly gruff voice. "Hello?"

". . ." The phone was dropped, and after dressing quickly, Haruka was off in her fabulous car.


	2. Part two

**p a r t t w o**

_I thought I wouldn't have to 'run like the wind' again . . . that I wouldn't desire to run. Why do I want to run when I know the light at the end of the tunnel won't be there? _These thoughts plagued Haruka's mind over and over as she drove towards her destination, wind from the high speed tossing her blonde locks in all directions. _ Michiru . . ._

Of course she couldn't think of anything else as more important; she hadn't been able to since they had first met. However, she was even more upset because Michiru was _not _the person she was rushing to. Considering the direness of the situation (as well as the fact that police weren't present for a good few miles), the female pushed the gas to around one hundred and forty-five miles per hour (nearly ninety miles per hour). Flashes of Michiru's form mixed with her confusion, anticipation, and slight guilt.

After an hour or so, she drove into the urban district of Jyuuban. Having circled around an elementary school for a while, Haruka parked in the parking lot in the back. She walked around the school to the front for a reason: she needed to cool herself down. Taking in a sharp breath, she entered the school to find a very festive spring layout. Chicks, bunnies, and bright colors were everywhere; the children of Jyuuban were creative. Canting her head, she smiled a bit and entered the main office.

"May I help you?" asked an office aide; it was obvious that she was just starting out. Her smile made Haruka realize that the young woman must have thought she was a handsome man.

_Hell, I'd think I was a man, too. _This was the thought she had as she looked over her generally masculine clothes. "Yes. I am here to see Miss Setsuna Meioh. Is she available?"

"Of course. Just one moment." The receptionist paged Setsuna and then came back to her desk. "She should be here shortly."

Haruka, being who she was, took in the general look of the girl. Red hair, kind of tanned, amber eyes . . . she compared nothing to Michiru. She had a nice smile, though, so perhaps she was in the right place. "I'll just sit here," she said, sitting in one of the waiting chairs.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and right when Haruka was becoming impatient, the red-haired girl walked up to her. Of course, the girl, whose tag read Ai, was looking towards her face when she looked up. A smile crossed Haruka's face as when she noticed a slight falter in Ai's smile. _She knows. _"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but you will have to go to the nurse's office. Once you exit from here, take a left and it will be the third door down. Thank you for waiting."

"My pleasure." She flashed the girl a smile and made her way to the office where Setsuna would be.

Exhaling a little loudly, Haruka studied the closed door to the nurse's office. _Why is she still here? _Not delaying things any further, she entered the office slowly, giving Setsuna a second to realize that she was entering. Haruka would come to find a woman with dark forest green hair, about down to her thighs, with her back to her. Some of that hair was in a neat bun at the top of the back of her head; one would wonder how long her hair truly was. It could be seen that she was wearing a semi-long, lab-coat-like doctor's uniform. A small dark line under this coat revealed that she was wearing a skirt; the uniform only reached to the bottom of her thighs, just under her hair. She wore simple black heeled shoes.

_Another patient already? These kids today, _thought the woman, Setsuna. Her back was to Haruka because she was watching over a sleeping little boy on the bed before her. When Haruka obtained a glance past Setsuna, she saw him. He wasn't hurt; perhaps he was just really sick. Either way, Haruka felt bad for the child, but couldn't help but feel that she wanted to switch places. Setsuna turned around slowly, expecting to see a child. "Yes . . . oh! Haruka. You came."

As she saw Setsuna smile a little, a smirk appeared upon her face. "Did you think I'd not come? I love you, too."

"From the sound through the phone, I'd thought you were hurt."

"Here I am."

"Obviously rushed, too."

"Shall we cut the bullshit?"

Setsuna, who was then arranging things, gave a sigh, as well as a disapproving look, and led the other woman to the smaller part of the room, the actual office. Once they were both inside, she closed the door but opened the blinds, in order to keep an eye on her patient.

"Now , is it true? Is Galaxia back? _Is that bitch really here?_" asked Haruka, pent-up anger rising. She had to clench her fists to keep from actually yelling. That didn't keep her from raising her voice, though.

"Calm down, Haruka." Setsuna, known to the Sailor Senshi as Sailor Pluto — guardian of time — was known for her level-headedness. "Yes, she is alive. However, she isn't after Sailor Moon and her court."

"Then _why _is she here?"

"You and Sailor Neptune tricked her; she's here for revenge." She felt weird, calling Michiru by her Sailor name.

When Haruka heard the word 'Neptune,' she looked away. By the time Setsuna had realized she had more to tell, the nurse caught a glimpse of the 'miserable face' Michiru kept telling her about. It broke her heart to see the wind soldier in dismay, so she changed the subject from Galaxia to something else. Little did she know that it was a mistake to do so. "Where is Michiru? I thought she would have tried to come with you."

Silence. Haruka even turned around, doing her best not to make an outburst.

"Haruka. _Where _is Michiru?"

"I . . . don't know. Is that all I came here for? Are we done?" Haruka forgot about the Sailor-related questions she originally wanted to ask. The sandy blond walked towards the office door.

Of course, Setsuna would block the path, putting herself against the door and crossing her arms. "You will not leave until we are done, and for the record, no, we have more to discuss, and no, we are not done. Sit."

Setsuna stayed at the door until the fuming Haruka sat down in one of her office chairs. After she saw that, she looked out the window to find the boy still sleeping. _Good. We have time. _Smiling to Haruka, she also took a seat, one right beside the sandy blonde. After crossing her legs and clearing her throat, the nurse looked Haruka in the eye. As usual, when Haruka was upset, she gave a glare.

"Don't be so sour." said Setsuna. Haruka gave a smile that was obviously fake and spoke the words _I wish I could hit you _over and over again. "Anyways, I'm sorry to have to tell you that I won't be able to help you with Galaxia."

This pissed her off even more. "What are you talking about, Setsuna? We're a team! We've always been a team!"

"And we'll always be a team. However, since my involvement could involve Hotaru and maybe even Chibiusa in this and the fact that Galaxia is only after you and Michiru, it would probably be best if I did not fight. Remember — we exist to protect the Inner Senshi and keep —"

"— any foreign threats from making their way inside, I now. But you should help us. Who knows if we'll survive?"

"You were able to trick her. You'll do fine."

Haruka crossed her arms and was silent once again.

"What happened, Haruka?"

Again, she said nothing.

"Please tell me. I'm sorry if I've angered you further. Please?" Now Setsuna was deeply concerned since Haruka wouldn't talk to her. An awkward silence totaling around four minutes ensued, their gaze never lost.

" . . . the phone . . ."

"What?"

"She . . . she answered the phone . . ."

"And?"

"I . . . I did . . . well, she had to lean over me and everything. When she was talking, I . . . did this." She flicked her wrist to where her palm would be upwards and raised a finger, only to curl it. She was sure Setsuna would understand.

She did. "Now, you and I both know that Michiru isn't always the most playful person."

"Yeah, yeah, but she seemed to be even more angry than usual at me. And she said she was late, too, when she hung up. Where could she possibly — argh. Let's get back to Galaxia. Do you know where she is? Or where she has her base?"

"I've only learned a few things from Taiki. I was told to relay the message. Maybe if you went to see the Lights, they could tell you more."

"Yeah, maybe. Thanks." She sat there for a moment before adding, "You left the Time Gate to just tell us this, didn't you?"

"Actually, no. I liked my job as a school nurse, so . . . here I am." When she looked towards the window, she saw the little boy trying to get off the elevated bed. "Oh, and here I go!"

Setsuna walked out of the office and helped the boy by putting him back up there, looking him over, and taking his temperature. "Be a big boy and stay there. Your mommy will be here soon, okay?"

"O . . . otay . . ." He sat there and smiled, before coughing.

"Oh, here, here, hon . . ." She gave the boy water. "Drink it slowly, all right?"

Haruka smiled a little. Setsuna was always maternally inclined. "Then children are your passion." she said, as she walked through the area, about to leave.

Setsuna looked away from the boy, having heard Haruka speak and donned a curious expression. "How poetic of you."

"I guess. "

"Wait. Are you going to talk to her?" Setsuna was rubbing the small boy's back idly, as to comfort him.

"Yeah. After I cool off, or if she calls me or something. Later." Before the nurse could call after her, she winked and exited. On her way down the hall, she spotted Ai and winked to her, too, before donning her sunglasses she found in her pocket. It could be said that Haruka looked her best when not truly prepared; the 'grunge' look looked good on her, especially when she left that school.

Haruka knew that Michiru was close, but . . . she couldn't see her yet. It wasn't the time. The health club, that was where she needed to go. She still had the urge to run, to leave everything behind her feet. Haruka knew she couldn't do that, so . . . she could free her mind and run there. Luck must have been with her, because she had kept one of her workout outfits in her car 'in case of an emergency.' This, to her, was well into the 'emergent' category.

Once she arrived at the health club, she fumbled to find her health club card, showed it, and then ducked into a locker room to change. Being the simplistic one she usually was, she wore a white tank and green shorts with worn-out sneakers. She locked her normal outfit and other possessions up, then walked up a few couple of flights of stairs to the track portion of the establishment. Haruka was lucky yet again, for there was no one there. She could run without worrying about others' safety.

Even though she had walked up two flights of stairs, she didn't feel stretched enough. With the long legs she had, of course she needed to stretch more. So, when she finally made it to the luxurious running floor, she sprawled herself upon the floor, stretching in various positions. Standing, she looked over the track. Slowly, she made her way to the gathering of white lines on one side, taking runner's stance behind the one farthest from the center. Imagining a gunshot sound, she bolted from her position.

_I wonder if I'm still 'running like the wind.' I wonder if she'd still want me to . . . I wonder if I could run like the wind to save her if Galaxia harmed her . . . I wonder if I could stop myself. Could I? Michiru . . ._

As she ran, she exhaled through her mouth and inhaled through her nose, breathing being the only thing steady in her life.


	3. Part three

**p a r t t h r e e**

One way to float is to stay suspended upon a liquid without sinking. As Michiru floated there, in the same health club's wimming pool located in the basement, she exhaled. Swimming around twenty laps was good exercise, but she and her body agreed that she needed a small break. She looked up to the ceiling, eyes half-open. Slowly, she closed her eyes and arched her back a little, putting her arms behind her head so that they could float while elongated. Once she finished stretching, she put her body into a cross-like position. _My heart hurts . . ._

After a few minutes passed, she knew that she was truly alone. Pursing her lips and relaxing her muscles, she allowed herself to escape her own body; the woman began to daydream. She envisioned Haruka in all her splendor. To Michiru, she was a goddess. She imagined the sandy blond locks, her daring eyes, and the piece of a smile she usually flashed. Another thing she put into her mind was a picture she had painted of her. Haruka was portrayed as an untouchable beauty in a beautiful and revealing blue dress, the wind blowing her hair and the fabric. It was then that Michiru started thinking about the physical interior of her lover, what was behind the clothes. The neck that she loved to kiss, it was pale in her vision and in true life. Michiru envisioned her lips, also pale, but even more daring than her eyes; every kiss she shared with Haruka was so warm. Her mind came to the inside of her forearms. For some reason, Michiru liked to kiss and tease Haruka there. Moving on, she thought of the sky soldier's breasts. They were perky and very fun to work with; their taste was unique, and Michiru savored the memory of it. Haruka had virtually no belly, but that made it easier for Michiru to imagine the feel of her hipbones through her skin. As she thought of the next area on the mental list, she was interrupted. Her thought processes changed.

Her daydreams took her away, and the visions became worse. Images of past altercations in their relationship came to mind. She remembered walking out on Haruka, and even Haruka walking storming out to think. She heard the 'vroom' of Haruka's car in her mind and fidgeted upon the water. The memories of the morning flooded her mind and she felt as if she were drowning in the water she floated upon. A single tear dripped down her cheek and combined with its chlorinated brethren in the pool.

Suddenly, she felt lighter than the air around her . . . as if she was being raised. The area around her became warmer, and it was as if she was being lifted. Her hair fell towards the water, dripping. At this moment, she relaxed completely, her form angelic, eyes still closed.

"Oh, my God."

She actually was being raised . . . by a pair of hands.

"If only you hadn't noticed, Miss Kaioh." This deep voice matched a tall figure. A man with long, tapered brown hair and light eyes was holding her gently. He wore no bangs, his hair neatly pulled back for a smooth look. He obviously hadn't been underwater yet. "Forgive me . . . Michiru, if I may, but it looked as if you were suffering. And I definitely _don't _want you to suffer."

". . . Taiki . . . you scared me." After calming down some, she looked him over. He was wearing yellow and black trunks. Obviously, he was waxed upon his chest by officials or something, because his skin gleamed in the light of the facility despite him not being wet from waist-down. _I must have been here a long time. I've drifted to shallow._

"As I've said, forgive me." He put a hand upon the back of her thigh, keeping the other at her back. Once he made sure he caught her expression, he rose her to a vertical position before letting her go.

Not liking the hair-waterlogged feeling, she took her aqua locks in both hands and wrung them out. Flipping her hair behind her, she looked up at Taiki quizzically. "What brings you here?"

"I felt like taking a swim all of a sudden. Who knew I'd be lucky enough to find a beautiful violinist during my stay?" He smiled.

He was charming; that was something Michiru liked about him. That was also a reason why Haruka was alert around him, as well as other who piqued Michiru's interest. Taiki reminded her of Haruka's jealousy vaguely, in other words, and she looked down.

"Have I upset you?"

"No. I'm . . . I've just got a lot on my mind right now. That's why I'm here, trying to get away. Am I succeeding? No . . ." She smiled wistfully.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Michiru looked up at him, or at least to his neck, wondering if she should let him in. Should she bother him with these trivial arguments? She bit her bottom lip, battling herself internally.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He hoped that she would, though.

"No, I . . . I will. Just me dry off, and perhaps we can talk up there?" She motioned to a section of swimming pool furniture.

"Sure. While you do that, I guess I'll swim a lap, just to say I _did _swim." He chuckled and moved to the nearest corner to them.

As Michiru made it to the last rung upon the ladder on the opposite side, she saw Taiki kicking off to start his lap. She noticed that he had very nice form, but his speed lacked; he wouldn't be as much of a challenge as Ami was. The woman smiled at this, not because of some evil thought, but because she was glad that his strong point wasn't swimming. If it was, her nature had potential enough to possibly damaged any friendship they'd have forged. The feeling of water dripping down her back reminded her that she was up there to dry her hair, not watch an amateur. Leaning back a little, she shook her hair before getting out of the pool and moving to the pool furniture. A pile of towels was laid upon an end-table. Taking one in hand, she whipped it up and over her head. Putting both hands upon the towel, she brought it down and vigorously tossed her waves. Within seconds, it was dry to be comfortable for Michiru. Once finished, she used the same towel to dry her body off somewhat.

* * *

Taiki noticed as he was finishing his first lap that Michiru wasn't finished, so he went around again. _I wonder . . . hm. _His thoughts were even more confused than he was. When he finished, he climbed over the side of the pool and walked over to the towel pile. Hurredly, he dried his hair and looked over to Michiru. By this time, the beautiful lady had laid down in one of the long chairs, resting her eyes. _She is too beautiful. _"Michiru?"

She opened her eyes, gazing at him with a wondrous expression. "Oh, here you are. I was waiting for you."

"Ahh. So, what's wrong?" He sat down in the pool chair beside her, but actually sat up. The scene looked similar to a psychiatrist and patient, sans a clipboard or notebook. "I walked out on Haruka again . . . over something silly."

"Well, what did she or you do?" Taiki knew it was wrong, but he inwardly sighed a sigh of relief. He knew it was wrong to be happy about such a thing, yet . . . he couldn't discipline himself like usual.

"I'd rather not say . . . but I know that I probably shouldn't have, but . . . I wish she could understand that I don't like to be 'touched' in formal situations." She promptly shut her mouth when she realized that she had basically told him what she was trying to avoid.

Obviously, she was a little embarrassed, so Taiki waited a few moments to say something. Leave it to the brainiest of the Sailor Starlights, Taiki being Sailor Star Maker, to screw things up. Smart. "I'm sorry, Michiru. Please don't hate me for saying this, but usually . . . someone who doesn't respect one's wishes and rules doesn't really love them."

This broke her heart . . . or at least gave her even more to think about in a bath. A bath could be a good thing later on; she'd have to seriously give that thought. Her eyes fell to the ground, dark turquoise locks falling and nearly touching the floor. "I . . ."

"You don't have to say anything . . . it's just an observation. I'll . . . go now." The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.

"No, please stay." Michiru even reached out and touched his arm. "I know that I've already inconvenienced Haruka . . . I don't want to push you away, either. Besides, being alone would drive me insane. And one doesn't need an insane Michiru. A normal one is enough as it is."

"Do you really think so?"

"Hm?"

"I . . . I don't think there's enough of you."

She stopped her silly thoughts long enough to stare at him. It was a kind of obvious what he was trying to say, but she needed to make sure. Different people function different ways. ". . . w-wha . . .?"

"You're too skinny; you need to eat more." He grinned and chuckled a bit.

Michiru laughed nervously, blushing just a little. She smiled up to Taiki, not truly sure if he wanted things platonic; he was a charmer, but he was vague. To be honest, Michiru wondered for a split second if that was a bad thing. When she realized that she was thinking such a thought, she put a hand to her head. She looked as if she were in pain.

As he saw the beauty look as if she was suffering again, instinct took over and he gently took her wrist in his hand and pulled it from her head, surveying her visage and making sure all was all right. He also realized what he was doing and looked down at her with a vexed yet dream-like expression. Blush formed at Taiki's cheeks when he saw her look up at him with nearly the same expression, just prettier.

Michiru actually leaned in for a moment before immediately sitting up, now blushing madly. "I'm sorry . . . forgive me. I . . . no."

Sooner than Taiki could apologize for what _he _had done, Michiru was gone. The image of Michiru running from the area was branded into his memory. He felt awful. Slouching forward enough to place his hands upon his face, he thought his feelings over. He knew he didn't love her because he didn't know her well enough to, but he did feel something, something he knew he couldn't control. As he rose from this emotional position, a twinkling object caught his eye. Michiru had left a bracelet upon the end-table. He took it, held it for a moment, and then also left the area, taking it with him.

Finally, she made it to the women's locker room. The situation at the pool could have turned something inexplicable. Her breathing was heavy, her head and heart pounding, her hands shaking. Walking over to a bench, she held herself with those shaking hands while staring down at it. The bench was lucky — it had no true problems. It was also reliable — it held others up as it was supposed to. There were so many things that she could count as attributes to the bench, but it didn't live. Did she realize that her thought pattern wasn't the sanest? Of course she did, and that is why she went to her locker, unlocked it, and took out her clothes. The shower room, which was to her right, was a very nice facility; the janitorial staff had major drive. The different shades of light blue were easy upon Michiru's eye; she liked that. After putting her clothes upon the counter in the corner, she ran the water for the shower. Having forgotten her cloth, she quickly walked over and grabbed it and a new towel from her clothes pile when she looked into the mirror. A scowl crossed her face. _Adulterer._

Moving her gaze away from the mirror, she undressed quickly and stepped into the showering booth, drawing the curtain. At first, she just stood there, letting the water shelter her. When Michiru felt a tear fall down her cheek, she shook her head and decided to actually focus on her shower. Taking a newly-placed small bar of the club's special soap, she cracked the seal and lathered her hands. In a gentle circular motion, she spread the soap upon her body, not using her cloth. After she washed it off with the same motions, she took up the cloth and performed a detailed washing job of every part. Eventually, she took a dime-amount of liquid from the tiny bottle of shampoo located where the wrapper of soap was. Vigorously, she ran the solution through her locks, massaging her scalp a little roughly to make sure she was doing well. She rinsed her hair and repeated the same motions just as vigorously each time. It truly felt as if she were washing away her sins.

Michiru exited the shower, feeling refreshed but drained a strange feeling, one that she surprisingly knew. She also knew that she needed to make it home to try to talk to Haruka about all that had happened that day. The thoughts of a possible argument probed her psyche while she dried herself off and re-dressed. Out of the locker room and out of the facility she walked, still thinking of Haruka and not wanting to start something that could harm or even end the relationship. She faltered as she took her keys from her purse, dropping them on the ground. Crouching, she picked them up, opened the car door, and seated herself. After a moment of clearing her head and getting into a driver's mindset, she put the key in the ignition, started the car, backed out, and left the health club premises. The seas' guardian was obviously not in her right mind, because she did not notice that her lover's car was in the same parking lot as hers.

It took more than physical strength to walk down the walkway to their front door. Michiru's heart was too loud for her ears, the pounding insanely hard. To help herself calm down, she reminisced of a good time Haruka and she shared. She imagined the night before, how she felt when Haruka held her against the bathtub's edge. The feel of the outer wall of this tub as she clutched it about an hour later than that came to mind, as well. Exhaling and clearing her mind of everything (as well as she could), she focused upon the moment at hand. Looking up to the door when she reached the top porch step, she noticed that everything wasn't normal. There was a small, white rectangle upon the frame of the upper part of the screen door, wedged in pretty tight, it seemed. Seeing such, she looked at the driveway. How had she not noticed that Haruka's car wasn't there? Shaking her head, she quickened her pace and upon arriving at the door, took the rectangle — an envelope.

Raising a brow, Michiru wondered who it could be from. She opened it, and inside was a plain, white, non-ruled index card. It was put inside backwards, so she flipped it around. It read:

_Michiru,_

_Meet me at Seven Green at six for dinner. I have something for you._

It was four-thirty.


	4. Part four

**p a r t f o u r **

Sweat finally built up enough upon Haruka's brow to where a drop fell into her eye. Reluctantly, she stopped running to wipe at it. This was the fourth time she had been interrupted by the fluid. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, because she realized the exertion she put herself through in her legs. Even though this was a potentially dangerous occurrence, it felt incredible; she knew she had done what she planned to do. Walking a short distance to slow her breathing and heartbeat, she couldn't help but think of everything. Why would Galaxia come back and not Chaos? Did she resurrect the Sailor Animates? Since she and Michiru weren't physically together at the time, would she attack sooner? Would she attack? Where was Michiru?

Thinking of her wasn't as frustrating, since the running helped calm her down. Maybe they could meet each other halfway. A sensation of cold washed over her skin. Sweat had dissolved into small salt crystals upon her arms when she stretched one last time. She needed to shower before she left. Not wanting to waste time as always, Haruka made haste to the locker room, passing her locker. When she arrived at a shower stall, she ran the water to nearly scalding temperature. Leaving her clothes in a messy pile, she promptly entered the stall. Unlike Michiru, Haruka did only what was necessary — she scrubbed until she knew that all sweat and grime was gone. When she finished with the soap, she put it away and bent down to rinse suds from her shins. Blinking a few times, she put a hand to her head and closed her eyes. _I'm losing it. I really am. _She could have sworn she had seen strands of Michiru's hair caught in the drain. After brushing suds from her skin in one simple swipe, she stepped out of the shower. It took her a minute to find a towel rack that actually had towels on it, but she eventually took one and dried off. She walked around with it on for a few seconds before arriving at her locker and taking her clothes out. With this, she took out her cell phone, wallet, and watch. Once she was dressed, she put her cell phone and wallet into her pocket and donned her watch after that.

"Shit, she's already been here." A little ticked, mainly at herself, Haruka threw her workout clothes in her bag and took off once she locked her locker. How could it have been four-o'-clock already?

* * *

Getting ready quickly really wasn't a favorite pastime of Michiru's, but if she wanted to make this meeting time, twenty-five minutes was her maximum time for staying in her room and bathroom. She didn't have to shower; she was happy that she had swum earlier. After tending to a few household chores, she saw that she only had ten minutes. Scampering around her room, she gathered her make-up and jewelry. Michiru hurriedly applied make-up after running to her bathroom. She took a second to decide which perfume she was to use and then undressed before spraying it upon her chest, neck, and arms lightly. The rest of her body didn't need this, since it still smelled like the nice-scented soap at the health club. Making haste to her closet, she threw it open and looked at what she had. She smiled to see that her 'little black dress' was still in there. It was, of course, a black dress, with simple but elegant and attractive design. Since it was a halter dress, she had to tie the top of it together behind her neck after putting it on. The neckline came down pretty low, the show stopping an inch or so past her bustline. She was thankful that she had many types of bras. Shoes weren't an incredibly hard decision for Michiru, unlike with many others; she chose elegant, black, sandal-like shoes that contained straps crossing up to her shins. Because of the dress being short, and a sudden want to not show off her legs too much, the idea was perfect. Well, she thought so, anyway. The last thing she did before leaving was don her jewelry: a simple silver pendant with a black stone, a silver charm — that's funny, she didn't have it. She found a silver bangle and wore it, instead. After she made sure she was completely ready — by a quick glance in the mirror — she turned off all of the lights and locked all the doors in the house, closing the last one behind her as she walked out of it. In two minutes, she was gone, and in forty-five minutes, she'd arrive at Seven Green. She figured that it didn't matter that she was two minutes late getting out the door.

* * *

Haruka was glad that she took good care of her brakes, because she used them most definitely when she pulled into their driveway. If it wasn't obvious that she wanted to talk to Michiru through her hurried movements, dazed expression, and overall distressed appearance, then one must be looking through the wrong looking glass. She put the car in 'park,' yanked the keys out of the ignition, and got out of the car by jumping out; it was a convertible after all. Locking the doors with the small remote, she looked around. _Damnit._

Haruka opened the door and entered, closing it directly behind her and standing still just inside the doorway. Exhaling, she looked around. _No one is here . . . why do I do that? _She walked around the living room, thinking of where Michiru could have gone to, then suddenly felt like taking a nap. Perhaps she was dreaming. Perhaps if she went to sleep in this dream, she would wake up to Michiru her side in reality. _Who in the hell am I kidding? _She shook her head and went into their bedroom. Once she caught sight of the bed, she couldn't help but stare at it; she thought of all the pillow talk they had engaged in, then of more . . . strenuous activity. At that point in time, she figured that that exact bed would be the iciest place in the galaxy. When that feeling hit her, she knew that she had to get out of that house again. So, she drifted to Michiru's vanity and opened the second drawer to find her love's sticky pad, only to become even more upset. The note Michiru received earlier was 'stashed away' in there. Livid wasn't even half-enough to describe her mood. Again, she was gone, the clock reading five-twenty-seven.

* * *

_I wonder why she's doing this . . ._ Michiru thought, as she pulled into a parking lot across the street. Since it was only five-forty-nine, she had a good few minutes to reflect upon whatever she wanted. So, she stared wondering what hijinx Haruka was up to. The woman smiled, thinking about it all. The woman even chuckled while imagining a few . . . sillier things. Before she knew it, it was six-o'-one. _Oh well . . . 'fashionably late' people never get scolded._

Seven Green was a restaurant that had opened not very long before Michiru's meeting, just a few months prior. The spot gained popularity quickly and by the way it was kept up, and of course, the prices, it was considered 'upscale.' One of the things that many liked to do at Seven Green was invite their dates to the place anonymously. If the host is given a name upon the list, he or she would mention the table number and the person could see who invited them there on their own, since the table numbers were actually displayed.

Very nervous now even though she didn't show it well, Michiru walked into the front door of the establishment, ravishing. The host smiled to her and opened his book, flipping to a certain page.

The man finally seemed ready as she approached him. "May I help you?"

"Yes. I am meeting someone. My name is Kaioh, Michiru." She flashed him a polite smile.

He searched the page for her name and eventually found it, grinning. "Ah, here we are. Room A, to your left, and table fourteen. Enjoy your meal and have a good time."

"How kind. Thank you, sir." said Michiru, giving a more genuine smile. She followed his instructions and eventually entered the door to the left of the kind host.

Inside, the place was beautiful. Candles were everywhere, people were dressed up, elegant music was playing . . . it was like a dream. Having finally woken up from this dream a few minutes after standing in the doorway, Michiru looked for table fourteen. One, two, three . . . eventually, she came to twelve. At that time, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening them . . . and gasping to her surprise.


	5. Part five

**p a r t f i v e**

"Did you miss me? It's been too long."

A gorgeous woman with long, golden hair that extended down into a deep blood red was sitting at table fourteen. She was wearing a deep purple dress that was long with thin straps and a high split. She smiled to Michiru and then sipped the wine she had ordered while waiting for her.

_Would she say anything about what I'm wearing when I bust her at that snob kennel? _A smirk curled Haruka's lips as she drove with incredible speed towards the suburbs of the big city. She was actually glad Seven Green was located in the suburbs.

Eventually, Haruka arrived to Seven Green's main parking lot . . . and departed to the lot across the street when she learned that only valet parkers used the closer lot. _What a rip-off. _When she got out of her car, she happened to see Michiru's there. The same smirk of earlier crossed her lips before she gave a straight face and gentle sigh. It was time.

Haruka walked through the parking lot, across the street, through the closer parking lot, and up the host within three minutes. As she was about to pass him by, she flashed him a false smile.

"Um , sir . . ."

"Hm?" She really didn't want to go into that.

"Do you have a reservation?"

"I don't need one. . . I'll be out in a minute."

"B-But . . ."

"I'll be out in a _minute. _If you get in my way, I will make sure that this dump never sees another day of profit." Slam. The door to Room A, the one she just happened to choose, was shut harshly. The host was left to his own thoughts as well as his guestbook.

* * *

"G - Ga . . ."

"—lly. Gally." said the really pretty woman before Michiru. "Please sit down. We probably don't have that long for dinner. I took the liberty of ordering a simple merlot for you."

Michiru was speechless. Why would Galaxia come back after turning back to the good side, to meet with her? She was sure that she had business in her own galaxy. This baffled her, but being who she was, she'd oblige the other party always. "Why are you in this part of the universe? I'm sure you're very busy in your sector . . ."

"Everyone takes time off. I just wanted to visit. How is _she_?"

"She's . . . she's well." Michiru smiled and then took a sip of mertlot. It must have been a really upscale, 'high brand,' because it was incredibly robust. Eventually, they would keep talking and even laugh a few times at a few instances. The whole time, Galaxia, or 'Gally,' kept a pleasant face. Michiru thought of this as a nice visit, and that the woman before her was incredibly sweet. They were into their meal and a very amusing conversation when they heard a slam along with a scream or two.

"Stay away from her!" screamed Haruka, looking directly towards Michiru and Gally, while holding the hug oaken door open. Her eyes were not daring now; they were blazing. Obviously, she was oblivious to the one hundred-and-something people staring at her, silent.

Gally smiled and raised her voice to where Haruka could hear. She stood and stared Haruka down while she spoke. "Well, well, a pleasant surprise, Haruka."

"Not as pleasant as the feeling that I'll get when I've kicked your ass, providing you don't stay away."

"But she wants me here, _don't_ you, Michiru?"

"I . . . I . . ." Michiru couldn't speak.

"What — what the hell? Let me go!" said Haruka, when a security officer grabbed her. She wrenched herself from the man's grasp and even fell to the floor, scraping her hands. Being contained again and eventually dragged out, she screamed one last thing at the two women: "You will not win! I will take her back from you. Goddamnit, I _will_!"

Michiru's eyes had watered as she sat there, staring at Haruka. After she was taken away, her dark blue hues looked to Gally. "Oh, my God . . . I . . . I have to go after her."

"No . . . leave her be. The last thing you want is an argument, right, Michiru?" Gally's face showed concern now. "How about we just sit and talk a little ways from here? Catch up more?"

Michiru wasn't one to deny another of a simple request, and Gally was right . . . she didn't need another argument. She looked down, forcing back the tears she felt form, and then looked up with a straight face. ". . . all . . . all right."

"Good." Gally smiled and hailed a waiter in order to get the check. She paid for it in cash, and then they stood to leave.

* * *

Taiki was headed out to meet his brothers and a couple of other friends, when he looked upon Seven Green. Maybe he'd stop in on his friend Takeru, who worked there. At the last minute, he pulled into the parking lot across the street and made his way to the front door, only to find Haruka being thrown out.

"What . . . what in the name of . . ."

A scream broke out from the building.


	6. Part six

**Note**: This is a loooooooooong update, at least twice the size of the longest one so far. Um, there are a few definitions that some might need to know . . . either to refresh their memories or to actually learn.

_ Senshi: Japanese word for 'soldier.'_

_ Phage: A monster that is born from someone's Star Seed being uncovered and found to be a blank. _

Another thing that I must mention is that in this story, I will be using attacks that are introduced in the manga in addition to the ones given in the anime . . . since the animators decided to cut the outer Senshi short on attacks. Thank you, and please enjoy part six. I know I have.

* * *

**p a r t s i x **

The multiple security officers really _did_ throw Haruka out of the restaurant. Of course, she was kicking and screaming, at the time more at them since Michiru and Gally were not in sight.

"Argh . . . I _will_ have Seven Green begging to me . . ." she said, furious and cut on her hands from catching herself from yet another fall. She balled those hands into fists and then slammed them into the pavement twice. The first time was the most powerful, the second the most emotional. Haruka curled into herself on that same pavement, leaving her hands there. "No . . ."

It was there that she finally let all of her emotions drain from herself. The fists she made became tighter for a few second and then they opened. Once opened, she used them to push herself up. She only had a moment to herself before a scream brought her to attention. Looking back to the building, she wondered if this was more than a normal emergency. She had to know. Going back to the doors, she opened it on the 'wrong' side and walked in; people who were inside of the restaurant were flooding the other side's doors by running outside ever since the scream sounded. There was only one guard at the door she came through since the other three went to investigate the scream and do their best to control the running crowd. The bad thing about that was the fact that the guard there was one of those that grabbed her first and the one she gave the most trouble. Another thing she gave him was the most incredible-feeling punch she had ever given out when he came at her. Needless to say, he was on the floor. More screams of terror came from Room A. Quickly, she jumped over the security officer and opened the door.

* * *

The sound of a scream arrived to Michiru's ear as she was leaving with Gally. She quickly turned towards Seven Green and looked towards the door. However, she did look back towards Gally when the woman touched her.

"It probably isn't much, Michiru . . . the authorities can handle it." She saw Gally's expression and felt the air for foreign negativity. There was nothing.

"Perhaps you're right . . ." said Michiru. Her head ached from the shock of seeing Haruka so angry on the other side of the building and the thought of what could happen when she arrived to their home. As she thought of her lover and the peace of the times since the battles four years before, she realized that she couldn't just leave it to the 'authorities.' "I'm sorry, Gally."

Michiru took off towards the building, caring not if she was in a dress. While she ran, the thought of Gally's words filled her mind. She shook it off and reached the inner parking lot.

* * *

A few quick steps was all it took for Taiki to arrive at the spot in which Haruka had once fell (due to the security). Once he was there, he knelt down and examined the cement. Eyeing the small spots of blood, he blinked once more and looked upwards towards the building. _Why did she go back in? Something isn't right . . . _

At receiving a strange feeling of disease, Taiki stood quickly. His expression darkened a little as he thought more seriously. He didn't really think that he would have to transform in only four years' time. Lavender orbs gazed upon the tinted door and its immediate area. Nothing was dangerous there, so he stepped over the small bloodstains and entered the building. The sight of the security officer laid out on the carpet and bleeding was unfortunate but also very amusing; it was obvious that Haruka was the one who cleaned his clock. He kept moving and came to the two doors, A and B. There was no thinking about which door to enter, since A was the one cracked open. As soon as he opened the door, he heard a raised voice:

"_Move_, you idiot!"

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Broken glass, various liquids, and cloth lay around him. Needless to say, his red blazer and the pants that matched were stained. Bewildered, he tried to sit up. "W-Wha . . ."

A hand clasped over his mouth, and the same, now-hushed voice spoke to him. "Shut up. Now, come on."

Obeying this voice, he finally caught a glimpse of the person who was talking to him. Dusty blonde hair, dark eyes, fair skin . . . it was Haruka. Taiki was about to say something, but he remembered that he wasn't supposed to. The same hand that had covered his mouth grabbed his wrist and pulled him up after pulling its own body up. Haruka ran through the tables and fallen items with him. As they ran, he actually saw what they were running from — a phage . . . or what at least, seemed like a phage.

The figure was masculine, a discolored green, and very bulky. Remains of a torn business suit hung from his body. His eyes were red, his teeth were fanged, and his hands were destructive. A table was thrown at the two, and after that, a chair and other odd things. In only a few seconds, thousands of dollars of damage were dealt to the restaurant. The phage roared in anger at not striking the two.

_ She runs like the wind . . . if she wasn't leading me, I couldn't keep up. _thought Taiki, as he ran with her.

Eventually, Haruka took him to a storage room and locked the door. She put a few chairs against the doorknob for the time being. Once they were safe from the monster, Haruka looked at Taiki. "We don't have time for me to lecture you right now. Transform."

"I'm not Seiya. Don't order me around like I'm a pet." His stern side made its appearance.

"Excuse me? You're the one who almost got himself forced out of the room by a table." Haruka glared at him, taking her own wand out. On the top of the wand was a golden six-pointed tar encrypted with the symbol of Uranus in the center attached to a blue orb. The orb also had two thin, curved pieces of a lighter blue that were attached to it that formed a 'v' on each side of the star when they reached around it and connected to themselves. Below the orb was a magenta and light blue heart-shaped piece that began the handle part of the wand. The handle was the same bluish color as the center of the heart, except for the bottom inch, which was spherical and gold.

"If you were going to yell, why'd you save me?"

"Because of three things: one, I don't think you're as bad as I thought four years ago, two, you're a Sailor Soldier, and three, I didn't think you'd be a dumbass and not be careful in a situation like this."

Weighing the options and considering the odds, he smiled a little. "True . . ."

"We don't have time to chat. Just don't be a klutz next time." She gave him her usual piece of a smile and then thrust her wand into the air, saying:

"Uranus Crystal Power! Make-UP!"

Once these words rolled off of her lips, the wand glowed a golden-brown color, as well as part of the room. Her clothes disappeared and she was bathed in golden light. Haruka closed her eyes and guided her wand all the way around her in a perfect circle. The wand disappeared and she bent over while golden beams engulfed her form within that circle. When the beams dissipated, Haruka could be seen in a Sailor Soldiers' uniform. the main part of the uniform, the leotard, was snow white; most of the three-quarter-length gloves she wore were white, too. Adorning her head was a tiara, and around her neck lay a choker with a golden star piece in the center. Her sailor collar, choker, pleated skirt (around the bottom of the leotard), boots, tiara jewel, and bands of her gloves were a deep, solid navy blue. The bow upon her breast was golden-yellow, the brooch holding it together a slightly lighter blue than the navy items. A sparkle could be seen in the air before the golden aura faded, and she was then Sailor Uranus.

As Haruka transformed, he wondered what Haruka valued in life. He knew that she was bonded to one of the most incredible women in the galaxy. Taiki then thought of Michiru and after that thought of her dismal expression during his stay at the pool. The man scowled into the golden light as he remembered a few choice words of Michiru's. _Do you love her?_

The deep, gravel-like voice of the enemy took him from delirium and brought him back to the storage room. Haruka had already finished her transformation. Hurriedly, he searched his left pocket and pulled out an earpiece microphone that he used during performances. The actual earpiece was covered by a golden chrome star with a pearl-chromed wing attached. The microphone was long and gray. Putting the earpiece on, he shouted,

"Maker Star Power! Make-UP!"

As he shouted, his body became shrouded in blue light. However, the blue light soon faded . . . along with his male body, for Taiki was actually female! Red light covered Taiki, and her own Sailor uniform appeared instantly; it was quite different from Sailor Uranus's. On this costume, there was no leotard, so it very revealing. A shiny, black sailor collar wrapped around her neck, and the back of it draped down the upper portion of her back; that was the only thing that was common between the two Sailor costume styles. Full-length gloves of the same shiny, black material adorned her arms, and thigh-high boots of the same make covered her legs. Covering her chest was a bikini-like top. All of the straps to the top were orchid-colored, including the border of the fabric that rested over her breasts; the fabric was the same aforementioned black material. Connecting the straps was a golden star-shaped brooch between her breasts in the front. Wings protruded from each side of the star on the left and right, resting upon the pieces of her top. Located just above her navel was another brooch like that, but it was connecting two crossed orchid straps that went only around her waist. Below this were shiny, black hot pants that came to a downward point in the front, revealing a golden lining that came up to just below her navel. Just above her gloves were rectangular orchid armlets, in which the rectangle was divided in half. Last but not least, instead of a tiara upon her forehead, there was a golden band with another small golden star in the middle. The transformation of Taiki into Sailor Star Maker was complete.

"Let's go." said Sailor Uranus, rushing to the door and pulling the chairs from it. Keeping Sailor Star Maker back a bit with her hand, she twisted the doorknob. Quickly, she opened the door to see a chair coming at her. As she ducked, she managed to pull Star Maker down with her. "_Now _let's go."

Uranus jumped over the gathering of stuff at the storage room door and ran to the mutant. _Damnit . . . I'll have to hold back . . . he had to have been somebody here at this joint. _The monster was picking up a table as she approached, making a horribly gruff grunt from muscular strain. However, he didn't get it that far in the air, because the blonde Sailor pushed the table into his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He crashed into a table with ashtrays and nearly full wine glasses, but when he rose a few seconds later it seemed nothing had happened. The green monstrosity smirked at Uranus with an expression that bled the words _bring it on._

Needless to say, that pissed Sailor Uranus off and she charged him, swinging expertly. Her eyes blazed while she fought with him. She connected a few punches, but they were minor; all of her usual winning shots were blocked. _Damn._

_

* * *

_

Because of Uranus's anger, Sailor Star Maker couldn't get a clear shot._ Will you move? I an see why Michiru was upset. You're too rash._ However, Maker wasn't expecting Uranus to be kicked in the stomach or end up flying into a cart of dishes against a wall. Even though she wasn't exactly harboring good feelings towards Sailor Uranus, she definitely did not like fellow Sailor Senshi being tossed around. Since Sailor Uranus was now out of her way and the monster temporarily distracted, it was time for Maker to act.

Because of Uranus's anger, Sailor Star Maker couldn't get a clear shot. However, Maker wasn't expecting Uranus to be kicked in the stomach or end up flying into a cart of dishes against a wall. Even though she wasn't exactly harboring good feelings towards Sailor Uranus, she definitely did not like fellow Sailor Senshi being tossed around. Since Sailor Uranus was now out of her way and the monster temporarily distracted, it was time for Maker to act. 

Raising her arms from her chest and closing her eyes, Star Maker gathered starlight between her hands. Once her arms were fully extended, she cried:

"Star . . . Gentle . . . _Uterus_!"

Turning to the right, she lowered her arms, leaving her left arm out towards the enemy. Bright blue spheres of star energy and intense power were launched at the monster through her hand. Star Maker was relieved when her attack knocked him over a set of chairs and into a bare wall. She wasn't so relieved when he rose, stretched his neck, and smirked again; she understood why Uranus lost her cool. _What the hell is this thing made of?_

* * *

By the time Sailor Star Maker had attacked, Sailor Uranus was standing again. _That was lucky . . . hmm. Guess I'll have to attack from behind. _Those who knew Sailor Uranus's ways knew a certain thing and those who didn't soon found out — she used her special attacks only when necessary. Even with knowing the strength of her enemy, she was not thinking this a 'necessary' situation. Staring at the monster, she calmed down a bit, and before she knew it, Sailor Star Maker was blasted directly into a painting on the back wall beside the storage room door. The sound of breaking glass and a scream filled the room, followed by a thud; Uranus cringed then shook with anger. Not wasting another second or any speed, Sailor Uranus rushed the mutant from behind and performed a powerful flying roundhouse kick aimed at his head.

_ What? _Sailor Uranus was in complete shock when her surprise attack was not only blocked but also caught in the enemy's hand. _Shit! _She squirmed and did her best to wrench herself from his grip like she had the security officer, but to no avail. The monster shook her a little, laughed a grating laugh, and then squeezed her ankle. His squeeze not only induced great pain but also sapped her of precious energy. Swinging around and scratching madly at the gargantuan figure with all her might, she kept silent . . . until he squeezed hard enough for her to stay still and only cry out.

"Uranus!" cried Sailor Star Maker, rising, but as soon as she rose, another table went flying at her, pinning her to the wall for the time being. Sailor Uranus screamed again.

"Submarine . . . _Violin Tide_!"

An incredible wave of water, power, and light struck the mutant. He dropped a disbelieving Sailor Uranus to the ground before being blasted into a booth on another side of the room.

". . . it . . . it can't . . . be . . ." said Sailor Uranus, slowly looking up from her position on the floor. The ankle and shin of her left leg ached her greatly, but not that the pain wasn't being forced, she could hide how it felt.

"Uranus!"

The sound of heels striking the floor repeatedly rang through the room. That sound stopped as none other than Sailor Neptune herself fell to her knees to aid Sailor Uranus. "Uranus . . ."

"Neptune . . . you . . . you . . ." Sailor Uranus's eyes widened at seeing her lover, companion, and comrade before her.

"Why wouldn't I?" said Neptune. She lifted Sailor Uranus's upper body first to where she could sit. Next, she rose herself to her haunches and slowly lifted her comrade's body up to a standing position, despite twitching and small sounds of protest; after they made it to where Uranus could stand up, she smiled. "See, you can stand . . ."

"Oh, quiet . . ." Uranus whispered, smiling back, before she heard a muffled cry of pain. "Maker!"

Sailors Uranus and Neptune made haste to the back wall (Neptune a good bit faster than Uranus) and after a few seconds lifted and discarded the heavy table that had pinned Sailor Star Maker. Finally being able to breathe a full breath of air, Maker became a little too hasty and choked. Sailor Uranus reached out her left hand, and Sailor Neptune extended her right for Star Maker to take; they both smiled to her. The Sailor Starlight was definitely glad to see them.

"Sorry about that, kid." Sailor Uranus winked to Maker.

"She _should _be sorry; I still think she eats too many sweets for her age." Neptune chuckled.

"Didn't I tell you that I don't ever listen to that type of talk outside a —"

The sound of an explosion and glass breaking broke Sailor Uranus's sentence and definitely grabbed all of their attention.

Candles had been most fashionably placed above many booths in the establishment to give off a mystic vibe. Sailor Neptune was so lucky as to send their enemy into one of these booths. It took a short while for the fire to engulf the large body of the monster; oddly enough, it was enough time for the three Sailor Senshi to regroup. However, when the flames reached the tablecloth and broken glass under him, as well as the spilt wine all around, the booth exploded into a fiery sphere. This explosion led to four others due to the countless trails of alcohol around the trashed room.

Uranus shielded Neptune and Star Maker when one of those four explosions was near them, but thankfully, none of them were touched by flame. However, they were nearly trapped by the growing fire, nearly trapped meaning there being only one way out besides jumping through flame, which wasn't very pretty. Sailor Neptune at first thought that her Deep Submerge attack would be the answer, but she remembered that she was not Sailor Mercury; the saltwater in her technique would make the fire worse. The fire was closing in on them; they needed a plan.

* * *

_ The storage room . . . that's our only hope. _Sailor Star Maker thought, and took both of their wrists. She led them a few quick paces to the door of the storage room and let their wrists go. Maker thrust open the door, shut it when they were all inside, and bypassed all the junk in the room to go to the window. Opening it with the same brute force, she inwardly rejoiced at feeling wind, looking up and around after protruding her head out of the opening. "Ahh . . . thank God . . . this way!"

The three were lucky to have entered a storage room with a big window. Sailor Star Maker climbed out of the window and hopped down from its sill. When Sailor Neptune and Uranus made their way there, she helped Uranus out by setting her legs gently on the ground; Neptune was helped by a hand. Once they were outside, they all breathed fresh air. After making sure Maker and Uranus weren't drastically injured, Sailor Neptune smirked to Sailor Uranus.

"Were you scared . . . Haruka?" she said, softly.

"My leg's feeling better now, Michiru . . ." Uranus retorted, giving her a slightly evil smirk back.

Star Maker just stared at them for a moment while taking in as much air as she could without choking like the last time. _Unbelievable . . . it's like nothing ever happened . . . maybe she's just —_

"You two really _do _want to die together, don't you?" said an alto-pitched voice, raised and a little distant.

The three immediately turned their heads to the east and upwards, to see the same beautiful woman that they had seen floating in naked, angelic glory with Usagi four years before . . . the same woman that invoked the name and power of Chaos . . . the same woman that Haruka wanted to throttle earlier. She was wearing the same purple dress that Haruka and Michiru had seen her in previously. She was standing on the flat roof of the internally burning Seven Green.

"Galaxia . . . why?" said a vexed Sailor Neptune. "Why can't you leave us be? the world was saved, and you love this world, you love the galaxy . . ."

While Sailor Neptune spoke out, the luxurious dress Galaxia wore faded away. In its place was her own Sailor outfit, all gold except a few ruby jewels, some of them dangling from her tiara headpiece with golden columns all the way around. The golden top of her bangs was rolled into four loops that protruded from the top of her tiara. The rest of her hair was tightly gathered in a small golden holder on the top of her head; this holder contained a few rubies upon the cylinder and a big one resting on top of it. A few ruby pieces hung from the shoulders of the one-pieced, almost dress-like, metallic body suit she wore. The skirt was of course, short, just like the conventional Sailor Senshi. Like all Sailors, she wore a sailor collar that was attached to her uniform. Galaxia wore nothing upon her arms, and only knee-length boots upon her legs. A sword with a golden hilt and ruby stone materialized in midair and she took it. Pointing it to the ground, she smirked down at Sailor Neptune.

"My dear . . . I said that I love this world, and even that I love this galaxy. But . . . did I ever say that I loved _you_?"

Sailor Uranus started laughing loudly and interjected, "Of course you didn't. She's not yours to love."

Galaxia sneered at the comment Sailor Uranus made. "Ha . . . and you do? Tell me, _who _caused her even more grief after some incident that obviously happened earlier by making a complete fool out of herself? Who caused the rift that allowed me to plant a seed?"

The legendary golden Sailor Soldier faded from her position atop the building and re-appeared directly in front of Neptune, only a mere few inches away. Her left hand rose from her side and the knuckles of it grazed Sailor Neptune's right cheek. Bringing the cyan-haired heroine closer to her, Galaxia said a few words in her ear. Almost immediately after she started whispering, Neptune's eyes widened considerably.

* * *

Seeing Galaxia move closer to her lover angered her. Noticing that the legendary Sailor whispered to her made her ball a fist. Knowing that Michiru was scared by mere words from the vengeful woman brought her into an incontrollable rage. "Stay away from her. I will make you eat whatever words you said to her . . ."

"Oh, you want a one-on-one battle with me?"

At hearing the words of Galaxia, Star Maker and Neptune stared at Uranus.

". . . Uranus." said Maker, softly, to herself.

"Uranus, no!" Neptune pleaded; she knew that Galaxia would do anything to get over on Sailor Uranus, be it fair or dirty trick. Since Sailor Galaxia as emitting new waves and strength, they didn't know how powerful she was . . . Neptune didn't want there to be any chance of Sailor Uranus dying without her.

"Yes. Sounds fun." Uranus cracked her knuckles slowly and gave her usual cocky smile.

Sailor Galaxia relinquished Sailor Neptune's beautiful skin and turned to Sailor Uranus. While she was turning, though, she managed to deliver a sharp slap to Neptune's face; the force in that slap was so strong that the sea soldier fell to the ground. "But doesn't it?"

"Michiru!" Uranus scowled at Galaxia, shaking from her anger. Running towards the golden Soldier, she struck out at her with her right hand; a miss — Galaxia dodged it.

Sailor Galaxia raised her left hand, and deep golden light gathered around herself and Sailor Uranus. They were both transported to the top of Seven Green. Surely they both knew it was not exactly the most tranquil within its wall, but at the moment, neither cared. Smoke trickled from the windows of the establishment — neither saw it. Raising her sword, Galaxia charged at Uranus. Quickly, Sailor Uranus materialized her Space Sword and deflected the strike. More blood seeped from her hands as she grasped the hilt.

* * *

The two battled blades for quite some time, the swordfight seeming to be a stalemate. With no way to make it to the roof of the oddly tall one-story building, Sailor Neptune and Star Maker could only watch.

_ You always jump into a fight . . . but you manage to do it valiantly. I wish I were as free as you . . . Haruka . . ._ thought Sailor Neptune as she watched Uranus hold off Galaxia, once she rose to her feet. A bright flash of their blades blinded her for a moment, and she turned her head to Star Maker. Like she had been, Maker's eyes were intent upon the battle, widened. It warmed her heart to see at least a small bit of concern for Uranus in her eyes, but she could not begin to estimate how long it would last. A slight bit uneasy, she spectated the battle again for a few minutes before looking around at the building and again at Maker. When she caught sight of Sailor Star Maker, the Starlight dropped to her knees, not letting Sailors Uranus and Galaxia leave her sight.

Walking over to Sailor Star Maker, Neptune put a hand upon her shoulder. "We shouldn't be just sitting here. We need to find a way to get up there . . ."

At feeling the fingers of the sea soldier, Maker shivered. She looked to the Seven Green building for another movement before glancing at Sailor Neptune. Standing suddenly, she almost knocked the other Sailor Soldier off-balance, but put an arm around her to keep them both standing. Now truly looking at Sailor Neptune, Star maker smiled and nodded, looking to the right. "This way . . . The building is too hot over there. We don't have much time."

The two took off running towards the other side of the building, hoping that things were still untouched by flame. Shock overcame them when they saw even more smoke on that side than the other. Either they were watching the other two Soldiers battle for too long, or the fire spread unnaturally.

"I don't believe this . . ." Sailor Neptune said, watching the building burn. _Haruka . . . _Shaking her head, s she ran back to the other side of the building, Sailor Star Maker struggling to keep up.

* * *

_ They even run the same . . ._thought Star Maker while catching her breath. Sailor Neptune stood beside her, gazing to the battle on the rooftop with a worried expression. It was obvious that the woman was panicking. "Hey . . . don't worry about her. She'll be fine . . . she always has been, right?"

Neptune looked over at the hunched Star Maker, eyes watering. When she noticed that her own eyes were wet, she turned around and wiped them dry. "Of course."

"Look at me."

Neptune turned around to look. "Hm?"

"If things get bad for her, we find a way out of this." A reassuring smile crossed Maker's lips. "Don't worry . . ."

Nodding, Neptune smiles back and then turned to watch the swordfight. She was shocked at what she saw.

* * *

Both blades were held against each other and both wielders were still. Uranus wore a malicious expression while Galaxia smirked to her.

"Impressive. I can't strike you." Galaxia pulled back and her sword disappeared. She also backed away a pretty long distance upon the rooftop. "How about sudden death?"

Sailor Galaxia rose her arm and it began to glow with the same deep golden light as earlier. Her smirk grew by the millisecond.

"Gladly." Sailor Uranus knew that intimidation was Galaxia's game, but she wasn't buying it. However, she also knew that Star Maker and Neptune were not safe any longer. Raising her hand, Uranus looked back to the two on the ground, specifically at Maker. _I'm sorry, Michiru. _"Take her and run, don't look back!"

Star Maker couldn't believe what she had heard. "What?"

"You heard me, damnit! Take her and run! Do it! _Now_!" She quickly turned to face Galaxia, since she didn't know if she'd attack sooner than she thought. Giving her natural smirk, she stared Galaxia down. _I'm ready for you._

* * *

Shaking from confusion and slight anger, Star Maker cried out in frustration and turned around, grabbing Sailor Neptune by the waist and hoisting her up. The Starlight knew that Neptune wasn't going to go willingly; her lover was the one fighting, not a stranger. She had an odd feeling that Haruka knew this, too. In knowing this, she carried the Sailor over her shoulder, holding her by the back of her knees tightly.

"What . . . what are you doing, Maker? We can't leave her!" Sailor Neptune cried while squirming and even pounding at Star Maker's back.

"I believe in her, no matter how much she manages to piss me off. That's why I'm following her orders." said Maker, through the pain of being kicked and struck. As Sailor Uranus commanded, she didn't look back. It would have been tempting to let Michiru run back, to let her be happy, had she done so.

"If your princess told you to do something like that, would you leave her?"

"Yes, because I believe in her, too. Whether or not she'd perish, she'd have good enough reason. Believe, Neptune."

"I _do _believe . . . I believe that she and I are to love, fight, and die together, that's what I believe!" This time, she struck Star Maker's back harder and harder every few steps.

"Then why is she," Sailor Star Maker paused to cough up a small amount of blood before continuing, "telling me to save you? If you believe that, then she probably does, too. And . . . if that's true, then she plans on coming back."

Those words kept Sailor Neptune silent, but they didn't stop her from punching Star Maker one last time in the back. After about two more minutes of running, Sailor Star Maker slowed to a stop, still holding the Sailor upon her shoulder. Gently, she set her down, thinking that since they were pretty far away from the restaurant Sailor Neptune wouldn't want to go back. She thought that maybe she'd think for a minute.

However, she thought wrong, because as soon as Neptune landed she ran around Maker towards the Seven Green building. Very surprised, Star Maker took off after and eventually caught her by the waist but didn't pick her up; if she could just restrain her other ways, there wouldn't have to be any lifting. Of course, Neptune squirmed and rocked; this time, she was actually able to break free. Again, Maker chased her and caught her. Lifting her up, she brought her back to the previous spot, a small grassy area, and put her down a little harshly on her back. Maker held her there and looked down at her with a compassionate face. "I understand how you feel, I really do, but . . ."

"No you don't, otherwise . . . you'd be ahead of me, going over there!" Sailor Neptune struggled with all of her might, most likely causing Star Maker even more pain.

"Yes, I do! Because I was kept back from many others I wanted to protect . . . held back like you're being held back." She looked into Neptune's eyes; seeing the hurt within them only made her more angry at Sailor Uranus. From what she had seen, heard, and figured out only during that day, she knew that the woman fighting Galaxia was the source of a lot of Michiru's pain . . . she also knew she wanted to ease that pain, whether she was friend or lover, man or woman, stern or gentle . . .

"I make my own mistakes, and I'll learn from them, whether in life or death, now let me go!"

Sailor Star Maker shifted some of her own pressure from her hands to her legs and kept Sailor Neptune on the ground by sitting on her thighs. Neptune made a groan of pain and raised up, surprisingly able to break through the hold on her arms. Once free, she shoved Maker off of her and then pushed her away. After standing and taking about one second to check her legs, she took off running again. Like the last two times, Maker followed her.

"Damnit, won't you listen!" cried Star Maker when she grabbed Sailor Neptune's wrist and aggressively flung her down on the grass. Still holding her wrist, she used her other hand to pull the woman's legs behind her and fell to her knees upon them after that, applying great pressure. Using the same hand, which had been recently freed from Neptune's legs, she grabbed Neptune's other wrist. With perfect timing on both sides, Maker crossed Sailor Neptune's arms in front of her, making their hands come to the sea Soldier's shoulders. After restraining her, she slipped her hands into Neptune's interlacing their fingers and holding tight. Leaning forward, Star Maker put her lips to the panicking woman's ear in order to whisper gently. "No matter how much you fight me, you will lose the battle, just like you've lost your calm."

Knowing that she couldn't escape the hold being put upon her, Sailor Neptune looked towards the ground with the same worried expression she wore beside the building. Three tears fell upon Maker's forearms when she became silent. She shook her head abruptly and stared at the Seven Green building, yearning for some type of sign.

The feeling of Sailor Neptune's tears was indescribable; all Sailor Star Maker could do was close her eyes. _Come on, smartass . . . don't 'take one for the team.'_

* * *

The power of the two Sailor Senshi grew immensely, so much that the waves from the energy could lift one into the sky and suspend the poor soul in midair. If only those of normal capacity were able to feel those waves. It seemed that the two Soldiers couldn't get enough of smirking to each other as they reached their limits.

Galaxia suddenly closed her eyes, and from her peaceful expression, she seemed to enjoy the feeling of her own energy flowing through her veins. A few moments passed and she opened her crimson eyes while smirking again. "Ready to put your measly power to the test?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm guessing you're ready for me to send you to Hell?"

"You _stupid_ bitch."

The scowl upon Sailor Galaxia's face indicated that the time for talk had passed. Jumping back a small distance, the golden Sailor brought both of her hands before her, launching an incredibly large beam of galactic power. The odd factor of her attack was that after she sent as much of the beam that she could, she materialized her sword and sent it flying in a slightly different direction. Only a millisecond after her opponent launched her beam, Sailor Uranus released her own energy in sphere form by flinging it towards Galaxia with all of her strength.

Neither of them were idiots; they knew that this attack would determine if they would fight again or if there would be no obstacles in each other's paths. What Uranus seemed to know better than Galaxia was that an explosion was going to occur due to the attacks. Since she actually grasped this idea, she jumped to the side, towards the edge. Sailor Galaxia was a little too confident in her abilities, because Sailor Uranus's thoughts were correct — an explosion occurred, bigger than either of them imagined. Sailor Galaxia disappeared by teleport and Sailor Uranus jumped off of the building behind the energy blast.

"What the hell?" said Sailor Uranus in midair. A sword was coming at her. As quickly as she could, she moved to the left to dodge it. She wasn't luck enough to do so — the flawless blade grazed her side. Crying out in pain, she shut her eyes and fell to the ground, oddly tranquil.

The blast of the two energies meeting each other caused an enormous rise in temperature around the building. The temperature change wore down upon the building, cracking it nearly everywhere. Before any of the Sailor Soldiers knew it, Seven Green exploded entirely.

* * *

"HARUKA!" 


	7. Part seven

I'm sorry about the long wait. The pause in production came from me being busy and a few events that proved to be . . . well, let's just say they were less than stellar. If my writing seems to be a little rusty, forgive me. I hope you all enjoy this.— Ju-chan.

* * *

**p a r t s e v e n**

"Haruka . . . no . . . no . . . y-you can't . . . no . . . " _Not without me . . . _Sailor Neptune was most definitely shaken. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes were widened considerably, and she trembled. After watching the flames for about thirty seconds, she closed her eyes and sobbed.

* * *

_You idiot . . . are you really going to leave her to cry like this?_

Sailor Star Maker felt Sailor Neptune tense in her arms just as she felt her own blood boiling within her skin. Even though she had an urge to run to the wreckage and smack the living hell out of Uranus, dead or alive, she didn't act upon it. Something like that would have been way too dangerous, and if Sailor Uranus really were dead, Neptune would have needed support. Knowing from experience and the expression upon the sea warrior's face that Neptune's going back was out-of-the-question, Star Maker let the woman go.

As soon as she relinquished the Sailor, Star Maker saw Neptune ball her fists and fall to the ground, beautiful face resting upon her hands. From the heaving of her chest and back, Maker inferred that she was crying still. Seeing Neptune that way helped her to understand how Uranus felt when Galaxia laid a hand upon her. Standing up, she gazed upon Neptune for a few minutes before peering at the building, determined.

_You'd better not be dead . . ._ she thought as she walked forward to stand between Sailor Neptune and the fiery scene. Maker knew that they didn't have that much time to escape before fire trucks and ambulances would be near. That meant they had little time to stand there. Maker scanned everything around them for a sign of life from Haruka. From behind, she heard Neptune's sobs amplify themselves, along with a few incoherent words. The Starlight felt a little nauseous at this point; this feeling came from the thought of Uranus really being dead. Whether Haruka could stand her, she knew that Michiru couldn't live without her. Thoughts of Michiru punishing and eventually killing herself added to the nausea and a lone tear fell down her right cheek. Star Maker realized that she didn't really dislike Uranus; she disliked her luck. Looking at the site once more, she exhaled a long breath . . . she was giving up.

Not knowing what else to do, Maker turned around and crouched before Sailor Neptune. One hand touched the sea soldier's shoulder and the other reached through dark cyan waves to grasp her chin and lift it. "We have to go."

Sailor Neptune looked up to Sailor Star Maker with an incredibly worried expression. Her eyes had reddened, her form was still trembling, and her skin had become very pale. "But . . . but she . . .she has to . . . "

Maker closed her eyes and hugged Neptune for a few precious seconds, seconds they weren't supposed to be wasting.

"She . . . she has to come back, Maker . . . she has to . . . "

Another tear fell down Star Maker's right cheek in the exact trail the first one blazed.

* * *

Finally able to stop her crying for the moment, Sailor Neptune separated from Star Maker. She stood up and turned from her fellow Senshi; once she spoke, her voice lacked tone. "Let's go, then." 

Star Maker stood and stared down at Michiru's hair, not able to see her face. Taking a side step to the right and another step forward, she put a hand upon Neptune's back momentarily to guide her into moving. Slowly they walked away, the blazing building their backdrop.

As the two Sailor Senshi walked, Neptune closed her eyes and thought of different events in her life. So many times had Haruka said her name. In public and casual settings, she spoke it calmly. When emergencies happened or when she herself was in danger, she yelled it. Once Haruka was embarrassed or not winning a lover's quarrel, she grunted it. During the most intense acts of sexual passion, she screamed it. Afterwards, upon the sheets, she whispered it gently. Michiru could not believe that this was all gone. She imagined more situations in their time together.

"Michiru . . ." It was a faint sound.

" . . . I've gone mad. I hear her calling out to me." Sailor Neptune whispered out loud and kept walking.

Maker should her head. For some reason, she could hear the same sound; perhaps it was her jealousy showing itself in order to drown out her sorrow. As appalling as it was, Sailor Star Maker was extremely jealous of Uranus at the moment, and for not even a second, she rejoiced at the possibility of not having her around. That twinge of feeling within her shocked her so much that she tensed up to exorcise herself of it. Was it her mixture of emotion that was making her hallucinate?

"Michiru!" A thud sounded soon after that.

Maker's eyes widened a bit, and Sailor Neptune chuckled. "Ha ha . . . if I turn around she probably won't be . . . "

The curiosity and morbid humor within her forced her to actually turn herself around to look behind them. Still chuckling in hysteria, she looked to the former restaurant and everything else between them. " . . . there . . . "

Sailor Neptune's eyes widened once she saw the heavenly sight of sandy blonde hair, long, beautifully pale legs, and navy pleats. The Sailor had fallen prior (the 'thud' noise), but she had risen again to walk. Seeing Sailor Uranus's form was not only a relief but also an arrow to the heart. How dare Michiru lose faith in her love so quickly? Tears streamed down her face immediately, and she ran across the grass of the suburban field to Uranus, hoping that the woman wasn't a mirage.

Whether Sailor Uranus was a mirage or not, her overall appearance spoke that she wasn't necessarily 'good as new,' either. The heels and bottoms of her boots were nearly ragged. Rips and tears were scattered all over her uniform, the tear from Galaxia's blade being the largest; it had grown so much that it revealed the top of her ribcage and the undersurface of her right breast. Blood flowed from the area, slowly staining the garment. Scratches, bruises, and cuts adorned her legs, but they were still beautiful. Her gloves were torn in different places, both of them bloody at the palms. Bloodstains ran down the fingers of Uranus's gloves like tributaries to a main river. Her face held a few small cuts from carelessness; Sailor Uranus had bitten her lip hard enough to draw blood while dealing with the pain of Galaxia's blade and her fall. Ash and smoke particles covered her whole body, the usual when one is near such a fire. Disheveled sandy locks completed her mien, which was one of an exhausted hero with a happy ending. However, she was sure they all knew this adventure was far from ending.

_Please let her be real . . . please . . . _Neptune closed in on Uranus and reached out her arms, closing her eyes for the moment of truth — the second she'd either touch her lover or fall to the ground. Her heart pounded within her chest rapidly; during that moment, she felt as if she were falling off of a cliff. She wondered if she was going to go straight to the bottom of if she was going to sprout her wings.

Her 'wings' sprouted and a cloud caught her. When she grabbed Sailor Uranus's torso, she was able to breathe again. Keeping her eyes closed, she squeezed the woman slightly while exhaling rather deeply. Unbeknownst to Neptune, Uranus had a shocked look on her face when they met, but after a second or two she smiled and closed her eyes. The arms that made Sailor Neptune feel safe and secure were finally closed around her again.

* * *

Sailor Uranus held Sailor Neptune there while rocking her gently from side to side. A few seconds afterwards, she leaned her head forward and down to kiss the crown of her love's head. Weakly, she used one of her bloodied-gloved hands to raise Neptune's head by her chin. Her usual piece-of-a-smile shown down upon the other woman's beautiful face before she kissed her lips gently. 

"I'm glad you remembered not to die," said Sailor Neptune, smiling through new tears after the kiss.

Kissing up each tear she could catch, Sailor Uranus pulled Neptune closer. "Don't cry . . . "

"I can't st — "

"Shh. Let's go." whispered the sky soldier, and soon after, they separated and walked to Sailor Star Maker.

Moving farther away from Sailor Neptune, Uranus approached Sailor Star Maker and stopped about a foot away from her. In her usual tone, she asked, "You okay?"

A shiny, black-gloved hand reached out and slapped Sailor Uranus. "That's for making her cry."

Star Maker turned from the other two Sailor Soldiers. Naturally, Neptune was about to confront Maker until Uranus held her back with an arm; not a word was said. Once she had walked several yards away, Sailor Star Maker spoke over the din. "I'm fine. Welcome back, dumbass."

Chuckling, Sailor Uranus rubbed the right side of her mouth with her wrist. At the side of blood, she rose an eyebrow. _Not bad; you've got a few years before you can slug me, though, kid. _Feeling the small sting of the strike, she started to feel the rest of her wounds and winced at the pain.

Neptune gazed at Sailor Uranus with a bewildered expression. " . . . why didn't you . . . ?"

"It's how we communicate. And don't worry . . . I deserved it. She's right, ya know . . . come on, someone's probably seen us by now."

They escaped without a soul finding them in sight; luck was with them.

* * *

"Is Haruka-poppa sick?" whined a small voice, one that dripped with the innocence and curiosity of a child. 

"Um . . . sort of, dear. Come on, put your socks on; we don't have that much time if you wanted to go play somewhere." said Setsuna to this little girl, who was named Hotaru. She had short, black hair that came down to about her chin and two of the most gorgeous violet eyes any had ever seen. Pale white skin contrasted the darkness of those features and, along with her sweet voice, created a perfect balance. As beautiful as she was, she was not without flaw. Her curiosity had a habit of leading her into trouble. No matter how much trouble she was led into, though, she knew when to be silent, because she was the reincarnation of Sailor Saturn — soldier of silence and death.

"Okay, Setsuna-momma!" chirped the child, happy that they were going to see loved ones. When the first battles with Galaxia had finally ended, Hotaru had been reborn not more than a half-year later. Why that happened, no one knew, but oddly enough she didn't grow as abnormally as the last time; her intelligence was still higher than the average three-year-old, though. Hotaru seemed to be living a normal childhood, despite her brightness. Not only was Setsuna happy about this, but Michiru was ecstatic! Her 'baby' would finally live a normal life. However, Setsuna insisted that she raise Hotaru and live separately from Haruka and Michiru; when the two finally agreed, Setsuna bought an apartment, joyful about her new life full of children.

Eventually, Hotaru slipped her socks on and beamed up to Setsuna.

"Ah, going fancy, are we? Lace." Setsuna said, chuckling. The little girl had donned lacy, light purple socks to accent the short violet sundress she wore.

"Mm-hmm! Wanna be pretty-pretty for Haruka-poppa and Michiru-momma!"

After patting Hotaru's head, she walked to the doorway and switched the slippers she wore for white sandals that perfectly matched the white tank top she was wearing with flower-printed white and purple Capri-style pants. Once Hotaru fastened the buckles on her own purple sandals, Setsuna opened the door for the both of them and followed the girl outside. In the driveway stood a small black car; obviously it wasn't prized for much besides commuting, because it was kind of old. In other words, it was nothing like Haruka's car.

"Oh, I forgot sometin'!" cried Hotaru, and tugged Setsuna back to the door. Please! It's really special!"

Raising an eyebrow, Setsuna unlocked and opened the door, holding it ajar. She smiled down to the anxious child. "Hurry and get it."

Hotaru ran inside and came out in a little under two minutes, giggling. In her arms was a small brown lunch bag with a hurriedly-drawn smiley face. Even with their difference in height, Setsuna could smell permanent marker. After closing and locking the door behind them again, Setsuna was actually able to walk to, unlock, and enter her car without a squeal. Confident in the child in the backseat, she didn't immediately turn around to see if she had her seatbelt buckled and ask, like many parents would. That did not stop her from pretending to adjust her mirror to check, though. Once they were all set in the car, Setsuna put the key in ignition, shifted to Drive, backed out, and proceeded on her way to Haruka and Michiru's house.

_It's been three days . . . that is pretty long for Haruka to stay down. Come to think about it, two days is pretty long for Michiru to go without notifying me. How serious was the battle?_ thought Setsuna, drowning out the smooth sounds of the car. Every now and then, she'd smile at the sight of Hotaru in the rear-view mirror. Not very long after they zoomed past city surroundings, Hotaru had fallen asleep, holding her paper bag. _Adorable . . . hm, sometimes, I wish I could be a child again . . . no worries, usually, and most of the time, things are handed instead of waved over one's head. Yet . . . if I were a child, I couldn't care for them. Hah . . . I wonder if Haruka is still a childish patient. I know she's sure as hell a childish thinker when it comes to confrontation._

She continued to drive for almost an hour until the beautiful mansion-like house came into view. So many memories appeared in Setsuna's mind. _Good times . . . bad times. I love this place. _Driving down the side road to their house took a few minutes, but eventually Setsuna parked behind Michiru's car. As soon as the car came to a complete stop, Hotaru woke up and yawned. Chuckling, Setsuna took her key from the ignition and unbuckled her seatbelt. Next, she opened her door, got out, closed it, and opened Hotaru's door. The woman unbuckled the sleepy child's seatbelt for her and picked her up from the seat, setting her feet down on the driveway right after. "Wake up, darling. Stretch your legs; we're here."

"Mmnnn . . ." Hotaru rubbed an eye with one wrist while her other hand held her beloved bag with a death grip. Another yawn escaped her lips when Setsuna shut the car door and locked all the doors with a remote control. Beaming yet again to her second 'momma,' she said, "Ready, Setsuna-momma!"

"Good." Setsuna took Hotaru's free hand and walked with her up to the porch. Motioning to the doorbell with a smile, she winked and opened her arms to the little girl. Hotaru hugged her and was lifted up to press the doorbell. With a kiss to the forehead, the child was set back down. A few seconds after that, the front door of the house opened and Michiru was standing before them, wearing her infamous short lavender dress that looked like a closed trenchcoat.

* * *

Michiru smiled brightly to the both of them. "Why, hello there." 

"Hi, Michiru-momma!" Hotaru immediately hugged Michiru, nuzzling into her legs.

"Good afternoon, Michiru." Setsuna smiled back to her friend.

"Come on in, you two." Miss Kaioh eventually stepped back so her guests could enter. Once they were all inside, she closed and locked the door. As soon as silence hit them, Hotaru beamed to Michiru.

"Where's Haruka-poppa?"

"This way, sweetie." said Michiru, leading Hotaru to the left. Setsuna followed after admiring the house yet again; it was like a wonderland every time she saw it.

"How is she?" Setsuna asked quietly.

"Well. Restless, but well." A chuckle escaped from Michiru's lips as she remembered an earlier moment in the day. "Ah, here we are."

The door to Haruka and Michiru's bedroom was closed, but after a moment, Michiru slowly turned the knob to give Haruka a warning. That was the _only _warning she received, because as soon as the door was opened to a decent angle, Hotaru rushed in and stopped beside the bed at Haruka's torso, beaming at her. "Haruka-poppa . . . here!"

Haruka blinked when a brown bag with a smile was shoved in her face. "Hey there, kiddo. For me? Thanks. How's my girl?"

"I'm good, poppa! Open it!" The child was obviously excited.

"All right, all right . . . let's see what we got here . . . " Haruka said, chuckling. She reached into the lunch bag and pulled out a can. Upon turning it around, she found a cute picture of a chicken in a bowl. Not only did Haruka chuckle, but Michiru and Setsuna giggled with her. "How thoughtful, Hotaru. Chicken soup is one of my favorites. Thank you."

Taking the child's head in one hand gently, she petted her and brought her closer to kiss the top of her head. Next, Haruka turned her around, gave her a little push, and said, "Now, go play. There are a few new things in your room here."

Still beaming, the little girl took off out of the room and down the hallway into her own room. Michiru watched her enter her room before she shut the door to the bedroom the adults were in.

"Isn't she just the cutest thing? Children are just . . . so adorable." said Setsuna as she walked to Haruka and sat upon the bed near her ribs. The school nurse in her came out and she put her hand to Haruka's forehead.

"Pedophile." Of course Haruka was joking . . . or was she?

Setsuna smiled sweetly to Haruka before turning her head to Michiru. "Oh, Michiru, did I tell you that Haruka was fli—"

"—pping off security at her school a few days ago." said Haruka, after clamping her hand over Setsuna's mouth and pulling her down onto the bed to hold it there; she winced when it stung. "No, you didn't tell her, because I just did, right?"

Setsuna played along with Haruka's story and nodded in order to be let up. Chuckling, she sat up and looked again to Michiru, who was a bit confused. "You two are still silly together, I see."

"Of course we are." said Setsuna, rising from the bedside. "I don't think any of us will change. Turn over, Haruka; let me see the big wound."

Reluctantly, Haruka turned over onto her left side and pulled up her white T-shirt to reveal the bandage on her right. Setsuna bent down and pulled part of the bandage up so she could see, only to have it moved from her hand. "Be careful . . . I'm sensitive."

"Oh, hush. Be a big girl, Haruka." Setsuna patted one of the woman's bruised legs then examined the wound. "Jesus, Haruka, what happened?"

_She recklessly jumped into a battle that could have finished her, _thought Michiru, _without me . . ._

"Galaxia threw that big-ass sword at me, and I didn't know it until it was too late."

"You really have to be more careful, Haruka." Michiru chimed in, walking to the door, opening and walking through it, then closing it behind her.

"What's going on now, Haruka?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

In Hotaru's room, the little girl was there, reading on her bed. Her intense hunger for knowledge was something that all three of her guardians loved, especially Michiru. After about ten minutes of being in her room alone, there was a light knocking sound and Hotaru's door opened slowly. "Hey, sweetie." 

"Look, Michiru-momma! Haruka-poppa bought me this book!" Hotaru said, with glee, knowing it was from Haruka because of the 'From Poppa' tag; the book was about astronomy, filled with pictures and fun facts.

"Yes, she did . . . you like it?"

"Uh-huh!" Hotaru then put down the astronomy book and picked up another item, a seahorse plush doll that had a mini-picture-book attached to it. "And this is from you!"

"Mm-hmm. So, you like it, too?"

"Uh-huh! I'm going to sleep with the dollie tonight!"

"Aww, how cute. Read that book, okay? You'll get to learn about seahorses!"

"Okay. I promise."

Michiru closed the door behind her, then walked further into the dim, beautifully lamp-lit room and sat upon the bed. After running a dainty hand through the child's hair, she turned her upper body towards Hotaru. "May I have another hug?"

A little surprised, but still happy, Hotaru beamed to her 'momma.' Scooting over to Michiru, she hugged her tight. To make things less awkward with positioning, Michiru picked the girl up and put her into her lap. For a few minutes, Michiru held her there. Hotaru didn't seem to mind, because she closed her eyes and snuggled into the lady's bosom. After those minutes, Michiru leaned forward a bit and put her head to rest against the child's, closing her own eyes. "I love you, Hotaru."

"Love you, too, Michiru-momma . . ."

"You're so sweet." said Michiru, opening her eyes and kissing Hotaru's hair. Her eyes closed again and she held the girl upon her lap, as if she were all she had.

* * *

After Setsuna and Haruka talked for a few minutes, Haruka insisted they both go to find Michiru and Hotaru. So, Setsuna helped the injured woman to her feet and they went searching through the halls. They decided to search for Michiru first so they could all go to Hotaru's room together, but after searching the entire house they couldn't find her. The two women gave each other knowledgeable yet concerned glances. Haruka and Setsuna both had similar feelings about the situation — why Michiru went to Hotaru so abruptly. 

When they arrived at Hotaru's door, they stopped before it and looked at each other once more. Exhaling quietly, Haruka opened the door slowly. When she spoke, her voice was unusually soft, sort of like Setsuna's was normally. "Hota—"

The scene within the glowing room blew Haruka's words away. Michiru and Hotaru were cuddled. It was cute, but it had to mean something. Also, since Hotaru seemed to be sleeping, it was obvious Michiru had been holding her a long time. _Something . . . what the hell . . . Michiru only does this when she 'needs innocent influence.' _The urge to walk out of the room reared its ugly head, and she stepped back. However, Setsuna was behind her, gently pushing her in with a straight face. Setsuna was _way_ too intelligent sometimes.

Michiru finally looked up after a few moments, making Haruka's heart sink. Managing a smile, the blonde walked to them and knelt before Michiru's knees. Gently, she touched Hotaru's shoulder. When it didn't faze her, Michiru shook her gently. "Hotaru . . . sweetie . . . it's time for you and Setsuna to go now. I think she's going to take you someplace."

Sleepily, the little girl looked towards Haruka and then up to Michiru. Once she was able to focus, she beamed and snuggled into Michiru before hopping into Haruka's arms. "Thank you, Haruka-poppa. I love you."

"Love ya, too, kid. Be good, all right?" Haruka whispered, smiling and embracing the child despite the small bouts of pain Hotaru's squeezing caused.

"Don't forget your things, Hotaru." said Michiru, gathering them. She extended the plushie doll and books to the little girl and patted her dark-haired head again when she took them. "Do as Setsuna says."

"Okay, Haruka-poppa, Michiru-momma." She beamed to the women, now standing in front of them, near Setsuna. "Can you walk with us outside?"

"Um, yeah." Haruka said, surprised that Hotaru actually asked such a simple thing instead of expecting it, like usual.

"Of course, honey." Said Michiru, smiling and standing from the bed. She extended a hand down to her lover and helped her to her feet, retaining the same smile. Linking arms with Haruka slowly, Michiru led her to Hotaru and then reached her free hand out to the child. "Let's go."

All four females exited Hotaru's room and walked through the halls of the luxurious house. Once they made it outside and neared Setsuna's scar, Hotaru slowly let go of Michiru's hand and Michiru unhooked her arm from Haruka's for the moment. Hotaru and Setsuna both gave the couple a hug and eventually departed. Haruka and Michiru stood there together until a few minutes after the car was out of sight; Michiru was longing for her 'baby' to magically come back for those few minutes and Haruka stayed because she was confused as to why Michiru was still standing there. When Michiru finally realized what she was doing, she looked up to Haruka with a bashful smile. The blond only shook her head and smirked down to her partner. _What is it, Michiru?_ "Can we go inside now?"

Chuckling, Michiru nodded and linked arms with Haruka again. The two walked inside and through the halls slowly without a word. Even when they reached the haven of their master bedroom silence was the only thing between them for about two minutes. During those two minutes, they separated and performed small tasks around their areas of the quarters. Hating the fact that silence was deafening in tense situations, Haruka walked to the doorway of the master bathroom and turned on the light. Turning back towards Michiru, she asked, "Shower with me?"

A smile crossed Michiru's lips. "Yes."

Turning her palm upwards and moving her whole hand towards her body, Haruka motioned for Michiru to join her. Not waiting for Michiru to make it into the bathroom, she started the shower, making it just how they liked it — hot. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Michiru standing before her in only her panties so soon. Those deep, blue eyes of hers pierced Haruka's very being, and the blonde slowly fell to her knees, wincing at the pain. She put her hands upon either side of Michiru's hips and squeezed them gently, looking up to the face of her beloved. Once she had her fill of her gaze, she put her forehead against her soft, flat stomach and closed her eyes. Haruka felt the fingers of her love run through her hair slowly. Inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, she brought her face back from Michiru's panties so she could stare once again into her eyes, the sound of their running water becoming nothing. Her hands moved down slowly, brining the undergarment down about a third of its way; a few strands of soft, aqua pubic hair were visible. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

Michiru was oddly enough speechless the whole time, and with the sentence Haruka just uttered, she thought nearly every thought a woman could. Canting her head a little and gazing at her lover dreamily, she reached out and touched Haruka's right cheek only to caress it gently and slowly. "Go ahead, darling."

While Michiru had replied, Haruka had raised her head up and planed the softest kiss she could give upon the exposed netherhairs, closing her eyes and making sure she had her question's words right. "What did Galaxia whisper to you, Michiru?"


End file.
